Rakesh Maria is new Mumbai police chief

Mumbai, Feb 16: Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorist Squad chief and senior IPS officer Rakesh Maria has been appointed the new police commissioner of Mumbai, officials said here late Saturday.

An officer of the 1981 IPS batch, Maria’s appointment to the sensitive post comes 15 days after the voluntary retirement of former city police chief Satyapal Singh.

Maria’s appointment followed a late night meeting between Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Home Minister R.R. Patil, an official said.

Singh had tendered his resignation from the post and sought voluntary retirement as he plans to contest the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

Maria comes with a rich experience of handling anti-terror operations starting with the probes in March 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, the 2003 twin terror blasts and later investigating the 26/11 terror attacks.

Besides Maria, the state government made several other senior IPS level postings.